


Melodies of the Piano

by Leonidas1754



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, F/M, Fluff, Music, rarepair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 16:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10282640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonidas1754/pseuds/Leonidas1754
Summary: On Sundays, it was unusual for people to be left in the school other than for extra study or making up work. It was certainly unusual to find someone in the music room, let alone Ikusaba of all people.





	1. First Song

**Author's Note:**

> Another massive edit and repost. It's nice, going through these old fics and cleaning them up. It feels... refreshing, in a way.

Sunday was the day most students left Hope's Peak for the day to have fun with their friends, go some place new, or simply get away from the school environment. Those who stayed usually stuck to places like the gym, the pool, or the library. That was one reason Kuwata was confused when he heard the piano being played as he passed the music room one Sunday afternoon. It wasn't as if no one in the school knew how to play the piano, far from it, but he'd never heard anyone in that room on a Sunday, especially not when the weather was as nice as it was that day.

He paused, moving closer to the door to listen. The tune was akin to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," but every note was hard and distinct, most likely a beginner at the keys. With nothing better to do than to satisfy his curiosity, he opened the door a crack and peeked in, only to be met with a rather surprising sight. The person at the keys was none other than Ikusaba, a classmate of his, and probably the last person Kuwata would think of trying to learn the piano.

But there she was, a determined expression painting her features as her pale fingers clumsily tapped the keys.

 _'She plays like a solider,'_ he couldn't help but think, but he found himself smiling in spite of himself.

In the last year, he'd seen Ikusaba go from only talking to and spending time with her sister to being relatively comfortable around most of her classmates. She was no social butterfly, that was for sure, nothing like Maizono, but she seemed to be close friends with Naegi and Oogami, shared a sort of mutual respect with Kirigiri, and even had an upperclassmen she practiced swordplay with. It was nice to watch, even if she didn't seem to like him much. He didn't take it personally, after all, he was pretty loud and such, and she wasn't the kind of person to like that terribly much.

Still, to see that look in her eyes as she tried to play, it reminded Kuwata of himself, trying to learn to play guitar with nothing more than a few tutorial videos and blistered fingers.

Kuwata found himself opening the door quietly and closing it behind himself before moving towards the piano and its player. At first he was surprised Ikusaba didn't seem to notice him, but realized that she was so absorbed in the ivory keys that he could approach without so much as a glance. He waited for her to pause in her playing before he spoke. "Hey Iku-"

In what seemed like less than a second, Kuwata found himself roughly pressed against the dark floorboards with a blade to his throat. An embarrassingly high-pitched squeak escaped him. "I-Ikusaba! It's me, Kuwata!"

"I know who you are," she responded after a moment and stood up, hiding the knife away again.

Kuwata stood, relieved that hadn't gone worse, and laughed sheepishly. "I thought you were really gonna slit my throat there for a second. Sorry about sneaking up on you." In retrospect, not making his presence known in the first place was pretty stupid. Well, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

"You're lucky I didn't. Why are you here?" Ikusaba asked, expression cold and arms crossed over her chest.

Kuwata winced. "I was just walking by and heard someone playing. Didn't know you knew how to play piano."

For a moment, a flicker of pride seemed to cross her face. "I taught myself. I was just warming up now." She sat back now at the bench, flipping the page of a sheet of music.

After a moment, Kuwata sat beside her, tentative and giving her space. Her hands hovered over the keys for a few moments, but then she slowly withdrew them and placed them on her lap, staring down. Kuwata frowned in confusion before speaking softly. "Ikusaba..? Are you alright? I can leave if you want."

Ikusaba shook her head. "No, it's just... I'm not any good at it, am I?"

The sadness in her voice took Kuwata aback, and it was a moment before he could respond. "Well, I think you're alright, you just play a bit like..."

"Like a soldier?" She glanced up at him, then sighed softly.

Kuwata swallowed. "Well..." This wasn't how he wanted this to go, but he couldn't lie about it.

"I knew it," she said when he failed to respond. "It's the only way I know how to play, though."

"So no one's every heard you play before?" His only answer was a slight nod.

Was this the same Ikusaba from Kuwata's class? It felt like he was looking at an entirely different person. The Ikusaba he knew was calm, composed, and self-assured, only showing the occasional, almost imperceptible frown or smile. This Ikusaba was, well... different. It was the only word he could think of to describe her in her current state.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ikusaba's question jolted him out of his thoughts, and he scrambled to recover.

"I-I was just... Just thinking about some stuff," he stuttered out. Why did he feel so flustered all of a sudden? It was only Ikusaba, and she was the one who felt vulnerable here. "It sounds like you've got the basics down, you just need some help! And I know the basics and stuff, so... Maybe I could help you!"

Ikusaba's eyebrows raised ever so slightly as she lifted her head. "You know how to play piano? I thought you played guitar."

"I do, but if I'm gonna be a SHSL Musician, I gotta know a little of a lot of instruments, right?" Kuwata said, relaxing a little. Music, that was something he could talk about easily enough.

"I suppose so..." Ikusaba replied with a thoughtful look. "So you'll help me?"

"Of course! Musicians got to help each other, you hear?"

They sat there playing so long that both lost track of time, settling into an easy rhythm. Kuwata would play a short tune, which Ikusaba would play back as best she could, and he'd offer advice and encouragement. At some imperceptible point in time, the melodies began to blend together into a lovely, if inexperienced, harmony. Ikusaba's notes turned from hard and distinct to gentle and flowing, rough determination transforming into a comfortable, quiet joy. Eventually, Kuwata stopped playing, hands simply resting on the keys. His eyes were glued to the girl beside him as he saw her in a new light.

If he had to pick a single word for how he felt at that moment, it would be _honored_. The two of them were far from close friends, yet Kuwata of all people had been the one to discover her and help her learn to play better. To teach her to put feeling into the notes she played, the melody she wove, Kuwata of all people was the one sitting beside her. It was like watching a flower bloom with unprecedented beauty, and he was speechless in awe. He tried to take a deep breath to calm his racing pulse, but it was no use.

_'Dude, calm down, it's just Ikusaba! Yea she's amazing like this but you like Maizono... right?'_

"... ata? Kuwata!" It was Ikusaba's voice that snapped him back to reality for a second time. The eloquent being he was, Kuwata spoke a well thought out and articulate response.

"Huh?"

"I said," Ikusaba repeated, a hint of exasperation in her voice, "that we should probably get going; it's getting late."

Suddenly, Kuwata felt an urgent need to get out of the room as quickly as possible. He stood sharply and started towards the door, flashing a grin behind him. "Well, I guess I'll get going then! See you later Ikusaba, it was fun practicing with you!"

Before he could take more than a few steps, however, a slender hand grabbed his own, and he turned to Ikusaba again as she spoke. "You'll keep this a secret, right? I just... don't feel comfortable with others knowing, yet."

"Of course! If you want it to stay secret, my lips are sealed," he said and made a zipping motion across his lips with the hand she wasn't holding. Was it just him, or was she pushing down a laugh?

"Thank you. I suppose I'll see you later, then." 

As soon as she let go, Kuwata bolted from the room. He didn't really register where he was going until he found himself under a tree by the track and he slowed, going back to sit down and lean against it. He stared at the sky, darkening in twilight.

Kuwata would have suspected he might need to rethink his crush on a certain idol, except for the fact that she was nowhere on his mind. Instead, his thoughts were laced with short black hair, sharp blue eyes, the feeling of her hand holding his, and the melodies of the piano in the music room upstairs.


	2. Second Glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks later, Ikusaba and Kuwata meet again in the music room, and Ikusaba starts to wonder why she cares so much what Kuwata of all people thinks of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second ch. of the rewrite, the third ch. will be completely new, though. That is, if I get motivation to finish it. -sigh- Well, in any case, hope you enjoy!

It was two weeks before Ikusaba sat at that bench again, fingers dancing across the ivory keys. Sure, she had a keyboard hidden away in her room, but she liked playing on a piano much better. It was a bit riskier, though, sneaking into the music room, because she didn't want anyone else to know. She'd been mortified when Kuwata had discovered her, but he'd helped, and no one seemed to know, so she supposed he kept his mouth shut.

Speaking of Kuwata... He'd been on her mind more than she cared to admit. She couldn't help but wonder why he'd left so quickly, and if she'd been completely honest with herself, it hurt a bit. It was almost like he hadn't wanted to be near her. She mentally shook herself. What did it matter if he didn't want to be around her? There were plenty of people who felt that way. They might have been in the same class, but it wasn't as if they were close.

Just as she'd convinced herself that she didn't care what Kuwata of all people thought, Ikusaba heard footsteps behind her. She stopped playing and stood sharply, turning to see him in the doorway. After a moment of panic, she took a deep breath and kept her voice even as she spoke. "Hello again, Kuwata."

Kuwata looked relieved, grinning. "Glad you noticed me this time. I'd rather not end up on the floor again."

Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Why are you here? Again?"

"I was wondering if you'd come back. You've improved a lot," he said with a small smile. His eyes shone with an emotion Ikusaba couldn't identify, and his motives were just as questionable, until the answer hit her like a train.

It was the music. Not many of Kuwata's friends had the patience for his music, and those who did couldn't play instruments themselves. He was excited to have the chance to play music with someone else. Still, it was as if she was seeing a different side of him, though she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. "I thought you were into punk rock," she said instead.

Kuwata laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm into other music too, and punk rock doesn't sound great on a piano."

"I suppose that makes sense," she said, nodding slightly.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Kuwata spoke again. "Hey Ikusaba, what made you wanna learn to play the piano?"

Ikusaba suddenly felt rather defensive and turned back to the instrument in question, sitting down again. "What does it matter? I wanted to learn and so I did, and that's all you need to know," she snapped. After a few moments she heard a muttered apology behind her and sighed softly. "I'm sorry, I... I'm not good at opening up to people."

Kuwata moved forward and sat beside her again. "It's okay. Maybe some other time?"

"Maybe."

"So what'cha playing?"

"Just practicing some basics. I forget which keys are where, sometimes."

"Oh totally, me too!"

This time, unlike the last, the piano sat in silence. Instead of piano notes, the air was filled with their voices as they fell into conversation, discussing everything and nothing at once. Ikusaba was surprised to find that speaking with Kuwata was almost easy. They were two very different people, after all, but talking to him was much different than with her other friends.

Oogami showed her she could still be feminine and be strong. Kirigiri wasn't a friend per say, but she was still someone Ikusaba would trust with her life and if necessary, her death. Naegi was simply someone  _everyone_ was drawn to, and she couldn't deny having had a crush on him previously.

Kuwata wasn't like any of them, though, He was loud, brash, aggressive- at least, that had been her impression. He was certainly loud and brash, but he was also honest, enthusiastic, and warm. He had nothing to hide, a surprisingly refreshing aspect she wasn't really used to.

Eventually, she started playing the piano once more, and this time, Kuwata sat back, closed his eyes, and listened. Ikusaba would deny it to the ends of the earth, but she repeatedly found her gaze drawn towards him, his head bobbing lightly to the beat. It almost made her laugh aloud; after all, she was playing some slow-paced piano piece, not some fast and hard rock. Even so, it felt nice to see someone enjoying her playing.

When she finally stopped, the sun was setting and the music room was bathed in an deep orange light. "It's getting late again. We should go."

"Yea, that's fair." Kuwata stood and stretched. "Thanks for letting me listen. It's been really nice."

Ikusaba stood as well, not meeting his eyes. "Well... We could do this more, if you'd like. Meet here, I mean."

"Yea, that'd be super cool. You're pretty fun to hang out with, Ikusaba. I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Right... See you later."

She smiled softly as Kuwata walked away, waving over his shoulder. It was only in the silence of the room after his departure that she realized the speed of her beating heart. This had never happened before, not even in the bloodiest of battlefields. It confused and even frightened her a bit, leaving her to wonder just what she was doing, why she felt this way.

She couldn't be developing feelings for Kuwata... Could she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave a comment, they give me life and motivation to write more.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, please leave a comment, it gives me life and motivation to write more.


End file.
